DURHAM, N.C. – ACC Player of the Year Kellie Catanach has been named to the AVCA All-America Third Team after leading the ACC Champion Duke volleyball team to the NCAA Regional Final, the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced on Wednesday.

Catanach, a 6-2 junior setter, led the ACC with 1,419 assists and guided the Blue Devils (27-7, 16-4 ACC) to the 2010 ACC Championship and their first NCAA Regional Final in school history. A native of Tampa, Fla. (Plant), and a three-year starter, Catanach is the first Duke player since 1994 to earn a spot on the All-America Third Team.

Catanach, who was named to the University Park, Pa., NCAA Volleyball Regional All-Tournament Team, led a Duke team that ranked 26th in the country in kills, 28th in assists and 42nd in hitting percentage. Under her direction, four Duke players averaged more than 2.25 kills per set including Gray, who led the ACC with a .387 hitting percentage, Burling, who led Duke with 379 kills, and Robertson, who had a career-high 350 kills and a .321 hitting percentage.

A two-time All-ACC selection and an AVCA All-America Honorable Mention choice as a sophomore, Catanach was a defensive force as well for Duke. She led the team with 12 double-doubles while averaging 2.13 digs and 0.60 blocks. She also led the team with 29 service aces and ended her junior year ranked third on Duke’s all-time assist list.

With Catanach at the helm, Duke advanced to the NCAA Round of Eight for the second time in school history. The Blue Devils defeated High Point 3-0, Ohio 3-2 and Missouri 3-1 before falling 3-1 to fourth-seeded and Regional host Penn State in the University Park, Pa., Regional Final.

Catanach is the first Duke player since Ashley Wacholder in 1993 and 1994 to earn a spot on an AVCA All-America team. Twelve Duke players, including Catanach, Burling, Gray and Robertson, have received AVCA All-America Honorable Mention honors since 2004, but Catanach is the second player in Duke history to earn a spot on the first, second or third team.